Stocking foot



June 6,1933. R. c. PAUL 1 1,912,539

swocx me FOOT Filed July 25. 19:52

Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application llletl July 25,

This invention relates to a stocking foot intended to be worn inside a slipper or shoe with or without a stocking being worn on the limb. This stocking foot is low cut, and it is difficult to prevent the heel of the stocking foot from sagging down, and in this way be-v However, it was found in practice that in 7 is walking, on account of the pliable nature of the liner, its lower edge tended to climb or creep up on the tendon of Achilles, in this way preventing the stiffener from performing its function of preventing the heel of the stocking foot from sagging down.

It was also found in practice that it is necessary to have the stocking foot fit very snugly to the wearers foot.

A general object of this invention is to overcome these difliculties and meet these requirements, and to provide" a liner having a form which will overcome the tendency for it to climb up on the wearers heel.

A further obiect of the invention is to provide a blank of simple form from which the stocking foot can be readily formed, and also to provide a stocking foot the bottom seam of which is sewed in such'a way as to insure that the stocking foot will fit snugly to the foot.

Further obiects of the invention will appear hereinafter:

The invention consists of novel parts and after, all of which contribute to produce an efficient stocking foot.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification,

while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective of a stocking foot embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through combinations of parts to be described herein 1932. Serial No. 624,475.

flhe1 stocking foot and looking toward the Figure 3 is a plan of a blank which I prefer to employ in forming the stocking foot;

Figure 4 is a plan of the liner removed from the stocking foot;

Figure 5 isa perspective showing the toe portion of the stocking foot broken away and indicating the first step in closing the stocking foot by means of the central sole seam;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 and showing the final step in closing the seam at the toe;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 5 and 6, but showing the completed seam at the toe of the stocking foot.

Referring more particularly to the parts,

1 represents the body of the stockin foot which is of knit or woven material suc as is employed for forming ladies hose. This 7Q stocking foot is low out. That is to say, its upper edge 2 is adapted to follow the contour of the foot so that the forward bd e 3 of the opening in the upper side of the stoc ing foot will lie below the instep ofthe wearer s foot.

This edge 2 is preferably in the form of a hem in which is carried a small resilient band 4 which exerts a light tension throughout the entire edge 2. Within the heel 5 of the stocking foot I provide a liner 6 which is preferably formed of light waterproof pliable material such as is known to the trade as reducing material. This material usually consists of a thin rubber sheet with a light fabric adhering to one of its faces.

This liner is secured at its upper edge 7 to the upper edge of the stocking foot at the heel portion 5. It is preferably secured by sewing.

In order to overcome the tendency for such a liner to ride or climb up on the wearers heel I provide the liner With an upwardly extending relatively deep notch 8 that is located substantially in line with the longitudinal central vertical plane passing through the foot, andthe lower edge of the liner is preferably disposed along two curved lines 9 struck on a radius located near the upper edge 7 of the liner. The liner is preferably provided with perforations 11 which pass completely through' 1t. These perforations are not for the purpose of ventilation, but to permit air between the liner 6 and the skin of the foot to pass through to the outer side of the liner. This enables the liner to cling very closely to the skin of the heel.

The stocking foot is formed with a central 10 sole seam 12 that extends throughout the entire length of the stocking foot. This seam has a rear extension 13 that extends up the back of the heel to the upper edge 2.

The stocking foot is preferably produced from a one-piece blank 14 having the general characteristics illustrated in Figure 3. That is to say, the blank comprises two lobes 15 which have a common junction polnt 16 from which they diverge so as to form an angle between the inner edges 17 of the lobes. The blank has continuous outer edges 18, and a part of each edge extends in the same general direction as the corresponding edge 17, and these outside edges 18 are united on a curve 19 struck with a relatively large radius.

At the ends of the lobes 15 the edges 18 terminate in arcs or curves 20 that meet their corresponding edges 17 substantially at right angles. In forming the stocking foot from the blank the two edges 18 and the two edges 20 are brought together with their ends aligning and sewed together to form the sole seam 12 and the heel seam 13 which merge into each other. In this way the bottom of the stocking foot is closed to a point such as the point 21 (see Figure 5) near the toe 22 of the foot. At this point 21 the seam 12 is terminated, and the projecting/end is then cut off on a transverse line, and in this way a small opening 23 is formed. This opening is then closed by uniting its opposite edges 24 and 25 to form a cross seam 26 as illustrated in Figure 6. This completes the formation of the sole seam, and after it has been completed the stocking foot is then turned right side out. That is to say, the material is reversed so as to have the seams 12 and 26 located on the inner side (see Figure 2).

The body of the stocking foot can be made of any flimsy material, but preferably of knit or woven material.

The liner, if desired, may be formed of any light pliable sheet material, for example, shoe findings, pliable leather, compositions of rubber and leather, cork and rubber, or of paper compositions.

I claim:

1. A stocking foot formed of knit material and having a supporting liner on the inner side of the heel thereof, said liner consisting of a sheet of pliable material with its upper edge secured to the upper edge of the material of the stocking foot at the heel, said 65 liner having a notch formed in the lower edge thereof and extending upwardly substantially in line with the longitudinal central vertical plane passing through the stocking foot,

said n'otch operating to prevent the liner from climbing up on the wearers heel in walking.

2. A stocking foot formed of knit material and having a supporting liner on the inner side of the heel thereof, said liner consisting of a sheet of pliable material with its upper edge secured to the upper edge of the material of the stocking foot at the heel, said liner having a notch formed in the lower edge thereof and extending upwardly substantially in line with the longitudinal central vertical plane passing through the stocking foot, said notch operating to prevent the liner from climbing upon the wearers heel in walking, and an elastic band secured at the upper edge of the stocking foot, and extending along the upper edge of the liner at the heel.

3. A stocking foot formed of a single-piece blank having a toe portion with a curved edge, and having two diverging lobes extending from the toe portion, forming an angle with each other, said lobes having diverging inneredges, and having outer edges blending into the curved edge of said curved toe portion in a continuous unbroken line extending in the same general direction as the inner edges of the lobes, the outer edges on opposite sides of the blank being connected together to form a central sole seam extending along the sole of the foot and extending up to the upper edge of the stocking foot at the heel.

4;. A stocking foot formed of knit material having longitudinal edges connected to form a central seam extending downwardly through the heel of the stocking foot and along the sole of the stocking foot to a point near the toe thereof, a transverse seam located under the toe of the stocking foot connecting to the first named seam, and a liner of waterproof pliable material secured at its upper edge so as to lie inside of the heel of the stocking foot, said liner having an upwardly projecting notch in its lower edge substantially in line with the central longi-' tudinal plane of the stocking foot.

5. A stocking foot formed of flimsy material having a supporting liner on the inner side of the heel thereof, said liner consisting of a sheet of pliable material with its upper edge secured to the upper edge of the material of the stocking foot at the heel, said liner having a notch extending upwardly from its lower edge operating to prevent the liner from climbing up on the wearers heel when walking.

6. A stocking foot formed of a single-piece blank having a toe portion with a curved edge, and having two diverging lobes extending from the toe portion, forming an angle with each other, said lobes having diverging inner edges, and having outer edges blending into the curved edge of said curved toe portion in a continuous unbroken line extending in the same general direction as the inner edges of the lobes, the outer edges on opposite sides of the blank being connected together to form a central sole seam extending along the sole of the foot and extending 310 up to the upper edge of the stocking foot at the heel, said stocking foot having a transverse seam adjacent the toe and extending in a general direction substantially at right an les to the central sole sea-m.

igned at Los Angeles, California, this 13th day ozt' July, 1932.

RICHARD G. PAUL. 

